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| Address: | 293 Lake Shore Dr. E. Dunkirk, New York 14048 |
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| Telephone: | 716-366-7263 | |
| Founded: | 1875 | |
| Pastor: | Rev. Michael Parker (native son) | |
| Mass Schedule: | Sat. 4PM; Sundays 7, 9, & 11 AM All English masses. | |
| Parish census: | 850 families | |
| School: | 296 Lake Shore Dr. E Sister M. Rachel Mikolaszczak, CSSF, principal |
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| Year Built: | 1961 | |
| Style: | Modern | |
| LDS Microfilm: | FHL US/CAN Film 1292993 |
The second oldest Polish parish in our diocese is St. Hyacinth located about 45 miles south west of Buffalo in Dunkirk, NY. Those living in this small city claim that the Polish population of Dunkirk precedes that of Buffalo, but the fact is that Buffalo's community organized a parish two years before a Polish parish was established in Dunkirk. The Rev. Franciszek Szulak a Jesuit missionary and Rev. Stanislaus Parzyk a Passionist Father, occasionally made stops in Dunkirk to administer to the few Poles there. With news of Rev. Pitass' arrival in Buffalo, the people asked him not to forget them and he regularly visited the community to perform ceremonies and hear confessions. The Rev. Karol Lanz was appointed by Bishop Ryan to organize a parish in Dunkirk in 1875 under the patronage of St. Hyacinth, a Polish saint. The chief employer was Brooks a locomotive company. Many Poles found work there. Located on Lake Erie, fishing became a natural result. The favorable climate led to farming.
The pastors of this young parish did not remain long in their posts. In the first twenty years of its existence, St. Hyacinth saw 11 pastors come and go. The Rev. Bartlomiej Swinko came to Dunkirk in 1896 and is responsible for putting the parish on stable ground and its expansion. For twenty years he labored to renovate parish property, establish a parish cemetery, built a new sister's convent and maintained order. Due to allegation against Fr. Swinko, the diocese reassigned to St. Casimir in Buffalo.
For two years there was unrest was the problem in Dunkirk, with the appointment of Rev. Michal Helminiak in 1916 did the unrest resolve itself and the parish put on course again. For his faithful work in Dunkirk, the Vatican raised him to the rank of Monsignor, for 37 years he guided the parish through the war years, depression, and encroachment by members of the Polish National Catholic Church.
The Rev. Dr. John Suplicki, came to Dunkirk in 1958 and began a building campaign for a new church. Once completed, the old building was razed and a new modern school house was built in its place and plans for a social center laid out. When Fr. Suplicki was transferred in 1967, the new pastor, Rev. Casimir Zak was faced with three quarters of a million dollars in debt. With the faithful support of his parishioners, Fr. Zak paid off the debt, eliminated school tuition and built up a saving account over his thirty year pastorate. The Social Center now is named for him. In 1998, a native son of the parish, Rev. Michael Parker was appointed pastor. The parish is on stable ground and continues to observe its Polish past.